Disney Hack: Man Pleads Guilty to Stealing 1.1 Terabytes of Data Over Slack

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Last year, I found myself standing before a court, confessing to illegally accessing a Disney employee’s private computer system and pilfering over a staggering 1 terabyte of sensitive data.

Ryan Mitchell Kramer, a resident of Santa Clarita and aged 25, admitted his guilt for two felony offenses. One of these charges was gaining unauthorized access to a computer system and retrieving information, while the other involved threatening to harm a protected computer. Each of these crimes can result in a maximum punishment of five years behind bars in a federal penitentiary.

In early 2024, as stipulated by the plea agreement, Kramer uploaded a seemingly innocuous AI-generating art computer program across multiple online platforms. However, this software actually concealed a harmful file designed to infiltrate unsuspecting users’ computers.

From April to May of 2024, a Disney employee downloaded a particular software, which then granted Kramer unauthorized access to the victim’s personal and professional accounts, such as a secret Disney Slack channel. Over 1.1 terabytes of sensitive data were taken from thousands of these Disney Slack channels by Kramer. In July, Kramer assumed a false identity, claiming to be part of a fictitious Russian hacktivist group known as “Nullbulge,” and threatened to expose the victim’s personal information and Disney Slack data. On July 12, Kramer made the data public, including sensitive details like bank information, medical records, and personal files, across various online platforms.

On the 15th of July, details about a suspected hack were disclosed in an article published by the Wall Street Journal. In response, Disney announced they were looking into the matter, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is also conducting its own investigation regarding this hacking incident.

According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, the leaked documents revealed discussions about managing Disney’s corporate site, software development projects, job applicant evaluations, leadership development programs within ESPN, and pictures of employees’ pets (dating back to at least 2019).

It brings us satisfaction that the person involved has accepted federal charges and chosen to admit guilt. We continue to collaborate closely with law enforcement agencies, as demonstrated in this instance, to apprehend cybercriminals and uphold justice.” (Disney spokesperson’s statement)

Kramer confessed that he infected at least two other individuals’ computers with malicious software. In the near future, he will appear in a courtroom of the U.S. District Court located in downtown Los Angeles for the first time.

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2025-05-02 00:19